The Colonial Pipeline shutdown over the past week has caused gas prices to go higher in the Levittown area, but widespread shortages were not seen locally.
As of Friday afternoon, gas prices in the area ranged from $3.04 in Croydon to $3.27 in Levittown.
Advertisements
AAA Mid-Atlantic said drivers were feeling the pinch at the pump this week as the average gas prices in the Philadelphia region increased six cents over last week. The national average hit $3.03 per gallon, the highest since 2014.
While there was strain on supply due to the multi-day shutdown of the pipeline that provides 45 percent of fuel to the East Coast, no widespread gas station closures or lines were reported in the area. AAA Mid-Atlantic said the late-in-the-week restarting of the pipeline, which is actually made up of multiple pipelines, will help restore supply over the coming days.
Experts at AAA Mid-Atlantic said drivers should expect to see price fluctuation in the coming days as the pipeline becomes fully operational.
Advertisements
“Local drivers definitely saw an increase at the pump this week and as the issues created by the Colonial Pipeline shutdown ease, prices could fluctuate,” said Jana Tidwell, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “It will take several days for the supply chain to resume normal operations, but this is positive news for motorists.”
Patrick DeHaan, the head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy, said earlier this week that the pipeline shutdown did not impact gas production, which bodes well for a quicker return to normal supply.
Advertisements
Southern states were hit harder by the pipeline shutdown that was caused by a ransomware attack.
Axios reported the cybercriminal group DarkSide was to blame for the ransomware attack and was paid $5 million in cryptocurrency to regain access to its computer system. President Joe Biden said Thursday that federal authorities were launching a task force to go after ransomware attackers “to the full extent of the law.”
Prior to the Colonial Pipeline shutdown, area gas prices have risen and stayed high as demand has grown thanks to more people getting on the road after more than a year of not doing so.
Advertisements
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
